At Else og Keld on Rømø - host article

We drive over the almost 10 kilometer long dam towards Rømø. Where sea and land meet endlessly.

We turn left towards the port city and further on the road, where on either side of the road lies one beautiful farmhouse after the other - in the typical burgundy red colors - with white, impressive portals surrounding the front door - which are often richly decorated with wooden carvings and ornamental in beautiful oil paints.

Then we see the sign on the right hand side of the road. At Else and Keld Bed and Breakfast. Horse boxes for rent. Drawn back at the end of the dirt road, lies the old Rømø farm with its 20 acres of mixed land laid out for forest, horses pasture and pasture for the sheep, walking around the farm.

Else opens the door - and with a huge smile, she welcomes us. Nice you could come in - come in, come in. I’ve made my best room ready for you. We are led up the stairs and into the room which has an amazingly beautiful view from a giant terrace facing the water, the dam and the sheep grazing.

A cozy room with bed, table and seating as well as a nice bathroom. In the window sill, stands the most beautiful little bouquet of wild flowers. I have no doubt that they are picked for us. And I’ll be happy. I must remember, I think, to thank Else for the beautiful flowers.

Breakfast is between 8 and 10 o’clock, Else smiles. You are welcome to use our guest kitchen, which is located next to the dining room and living room. And she asks carefully if we want extra pillows.

Else sits down at breakfast and eats with us. It is cozy. Else is nice. And it’s a fantastic breakfast table with everything homemade. Buns, wheat bread, rye bread and jam.

And Else tells. Yes - I was actually born in Central Jutland, and Keld and I have lived together for 12 years in Copenhagen before we landed here on Rømø. In Copenhagen, we were both trained as social educators. The farm here has been owned by the Kelds family through five generations - and everyone has been farming and renting to tourists in various forms. Everything from a room with das and shared bathroomin the courtyard - to a real guest house with three daily meals.

Today it is Bed and Breakfast with a served breakfast and a communal kitchen for free use for all guests. Every generation has added and improved something over the years. We also did that, when we took over from my mother-in-law. Actually, it was not at all in the cards that we should come here to Romo. We had established ourselves in Copenhagen. But when it became known at some point that my mother-in-law would sell the farm. Keld and I agreed, that we would give life on Rømø a chance. It didn’t feel right to sell the farm. We would give life on Romø a try. So in 2001 we moved to Rømø with our two girls of 4 and 5 years.

We started - as a new generation - to put our mark on the house and the decor. I worked more than full time with summer guests and projects.But winter was coming. The guests returned home, and I felt a bit empty after the first winter. Since I wanted to keep working as an educator, as well as an hostess, the perfect combination has become working as a substitute in a kindergarten in Skærbæk, which is located on the mainland, in the winter. Now I am a seasonal worker, fit for summer guests in the summer and kindergarten children in the winter. That’s great, Else finishes.

We stand by the stairs, where the wall up to the first floor is adorned with all the family portraits and pictures of the farm through the ages.

We have said goodbye to Else, but feels that there is something I forgotten to say. I can’t think of that. I even say it out loud to Else: There was something important I wanted to tell you. But I have to go, head-shaking forgetful, to the car. I can’t think of what.
When we cross the dam, the thought strikes me: The flowers - I forgot to thank Else for the flowers...